1.Stretch every extremity for 15 seconds. Try this before you open your eyes. Lift your arm and begin by stretching each finger, then your hand, then your wrist, then your arm. Repeat with the other arm. Then your toes, feet, ankles and legs. End with a neck and back stretch that propels you out of the bed. You’ve just limbered up your muscles and joints, and enhanced the flow of blood through your body, providing an extra shot of oxygen to all your tissues.

2. Cuddle your kids. Few things are more stressful than waking up an overtired ten-year-old or snoring teen. Yet this is one time when parents can show affection without copping attitude. Sit on his bed and gently smooth his hair as you softly wake him. Such a moment will send a surge of joy through your day.

3. Eschew any Decisions. For truly relaxing mornings, reduce the number of choices and decisions you make to zero. Either make your decisions the night before – what clothes to wear, what breakfast to eat, what route to take to work – or build routine into your morning as much as possible. Really, there’s no need to vary your breakfast, timetable or bathroom ritual every morning.

4. Drink a glass of water. Remember, you’ve been fasting all night long, so you wake each morning dehydrated.

5. Spend five to ten minutes listening to music or just sitting and thinking. This allows the creative thinking that takes place during the night to gel and form into a plan of action, grounding you for the day.

6.Prepare an emergency outfit in your wardrobe, right down to socks/stockings and accessories.

On mornings when you sleep through the alarm or simply need an extra ten minutes, you can just pluck it off the hanger and go.

7. Kiss all the people you love in your house (including the dog and cat) before you leave. Connecting with the ones you love soothes stress and gives a positive start to your day.